Kingsmen battling adversity in the pool

Forgive Craig Rond for feeling like he has a recurring role in an episode of the "Twilight Zone" this season.

The Cal Lutheran men's water polo coach never knows what to expect when he arrives at the pool deck each day.

The Kingsmen (2-9) have been dealing with injuries, brutality ejections and youth as they prepare for the start of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

"It's like a fog waiting to see what will emerge," Rond said. "I just think there is no expectation of CLU water polo for men right now. We were in the championship game two years ago and then last year we laid an egg and got fifth. This year, I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

The forecast became even more clouded when CLU lost two key players to injury. Senior driver Wes Lewis tore ligaments in this thumb and sophomore utility Trevor Owen broke his finger.

Lewis, an All-American and one of only two seniors on the roster, is contemplating whether to redshirt or return for only a small portion of the season.

The Kingsmen have received strong play from Agoura brothers Brandon and Brian Gross, while sophomore Matt Baerg has displayed his potential in goal.

Oaks Christian graduate Jonnie Pare has transferred to CLU after playing at the University of the Pacific and Ventura College.

"He is still getting his rhythm back, and once he does I think he'll do really good. He has good potential," Rond said. "It's a great group of guys overall. They are probably more focused and working harder than any group I've ever had and they get along just great."

In a game somewhat symbolic of CLU's season, the Kingsmen scored two goals in the final 13 seconds to tie Fresno Pacific only to lose 18-17 in overtime. One week later, CLU beat Fresno Pacific 13-11.

Rond expects SCIAC play to be no different.

"It is so volatile that we could sneak out a SCIAC championship or we could drop to fifth," Rond said. "We would have to play really, really great to win SCIAC, but I don't think it is out of reach at all. A lot could depend on how healthy we are."

Girl power: The women's soccer and volleyball teams have been the hottest squads at CLU this season.

The soccer team remains unbeaten with a 7-0-1 record, including 2-0-1 in SCIAC. In the latest victory, Brittany Clark recorded the second hat trick of her career as CLU beat La Verne 6-1. CLU's defense has yielded a total of six goals in eight games.

The volleyball team has won eight straight matches since opening the season with three straight losses. The Regals (8-3, 3-0 SCIAC) have dropped only three games during their streak.

Making their prospects even brighter, the Regals welcomed back Erin Exline last Saturday. The senior middle blocker had missed the first 10 matches with a knee injury.

CLU faces a big road test tonight at Occidental (10-1, 3-0) in a clash of SCIAC-unbeatens.

Get out the vote: Forget the November general election. The CLU athletics department is making a push to have fans vote for CLU football coach Ben McEnroe for the Division III Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. The award provides each coach with $50,000 to donate to charity and a $20,000 grant to donate to his school's alumni association. As of Monday, McEnroe was No. 14 on the list with 68 votes. Fans can vote once per day at http://www.coachoftheyear.com until the final day of voting on Dec. 4.